Video
HDMI cable spec
Every HDMI version, what it carries, how far it goes.
A reference table of every published HDMI version: peak bandwidth, max resolution + frame rate, audio return support, CEC, and the practical max passive-copper distance for the version's headline format.
| Version | Year | Bandwidth | Max resolution | Audio return | Max passive copper | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HDMI 1.0 | 2002 | 4.95 Gbps | 1080p60 8-bit | No | ~15 m | First release. PCM, Dolby Digital, DTS. |
| HDMI 1.1 | 2004 | 4.95 Gbps | 1080p60 8-bit | No | ~15 m | Adds DVD-Audio support. |
| HDMI 1.2 | 2005 | 4.95 Gbps | 1080p60 8-bit | No | ~15 m | PC source support, SACD via 1-bit DSD. |
| HDMI 1.3 | 2006 | 10.2 Gbps | 1440p60 / 1080p120 | No | ~15 m | Deep Color, xvYCC, Dolby TrueHD / DTS-HD bitstream. |
| HDMI 1.4 | 2009 | 10.2 Gbps | 4K30 / 1080p120 | ARC | ~10 m at 4K30 | HEC, ARC, 3D, 4K added; Standard / High-Speed cable categories. |
| HDMI 2.0 | 2013 | 18 Gbps | 4K60 4:4:4 | ARC | ~5 m at 4K60 4:4:4 | HDR10 (2.0a), wide-gamut BT.2020, Premium High-Speed cable. |
| HDMI 2.0b | 2016 | 18 Gbps | 4K60 4:4:4 | ARC | ~5 m at 4K60 4:4:4 | HLG HDR added. |
| HDMI 2.1 | 2017 | 48 Gbps | 8K60 / 4K120 | eARC | ~3 m at 4K120 | Dynamic HDR, VRR, ALLM, QFT, QMS; Ultra High-Speed cable. |
| HDMI 2.1a | 2022 | 48 Gbps | 8K60 / 4K120 | eARC | ~3 m at 4K120 | Source-Based Tone Mapping (SBTM). |
| HDMI 2.1b | 2023 | 48 Gbps | 8K60 / 4K120 | eARC | ~3 m at 4K120 | Compliance + display-stream-compression clarifications. |
| HDMI 2.2 | 2025 | 96 Gbps | 16K30 / 12K60 / 8K120 | eARC | ~2 m at 8K120 | Ultra96 cable, Latency Indication Protocol. |
reading the table
- ▸ Bandwidth is the peak TMDS / FRL link rate. Real-world headroom is lower because of 8b/10b or 16b/18b coding overhead.
- ▸ Max passive copper is the practical distance off-the-shelf cables hold the headline format reliably. Active cables, optical, or extenders push much further.
- ▸ eARC supports lossless multi-channel formats (TrueHD Atmos, DTS-HD MA); ARC tops out at compressed 5.1.
- ▸ Cable categories: Standard (1.4 SD/HD), High-Speed (1.4 up to 4K30), Premium High-Speed (2.0), Ultra High-Speed (2.1, 48 Gbps), Ultra96 (2.2, 96 Gbps).
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